Have you ever been in three or more Zoom meetings this time of the day? Did you notice your colleagues’ new backdrop or their new hairstyle? What are the other things you’re noticing while in a virtual meeting? These things that you think are just normal that you are noticing at the first few online meetings and conferences you have at the onset of working from home are the very things that drains everyone out leading to Zoom fatigue.
So how come this set up becomes so tiring? DigiDay said in a report that because of the situation all interactions are now happening online, more specifically in an app called Zoom. Some companies also tend to over-communicate with their employees by scheduling numerous virtual meetings in a day that could have just been an email or phone call. Sometimes you also can’t escape calls from friends and family.
How to avoid Zoom fatigue?
Trying to avoid this virtual exhaustion can make your life easier and your mind happy. Here are some cheats to overcome it:
1. Use your mobile phone sometimes when participating in a virtual meeting. It can give you allowances to roam around the room or check the garden or even scribble something in your notebook while being in the meeting. You can also try using under desk bikes in your home office to keep your immune system strong and your mind sharp.
2. Don’t schedule back to back meetings and let your brain breathe. Exhaustion easily breeds in a multiple meetings with little time interval, especially if each meetings need your full attention.
3. Take some time before the meeting starts to actually check the well-being of your co-workers. Give care tips to those who need it. This can be a refreshing start before the actual meeting about company updates and brainstorming on how you will all conquer this new normal.
4. You can also try the 20-20-20 rule to reduce eye strain. It is when every 20 minutes; you look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Try this and you’ll feel the difference! A simple tweak in your home office can make big change. You can use a desk riser to elevate your laptop or computer screen 20 to 30 inches away from your eyes.
5. Check your microphone reception because it’s annoying to hear noises especially in the meeting. You can record your meetings so you’ll know how you sound from others. Adjusting your position or the distance of your microphone can make a big difference.
6. You can say no to a virtual meeting. If you are feeling under the weather for the day you can tell your manager or your friends that you can’t make it to the meeting – whether it’s for a Zoom karaoke night or virtual dance party or day-to-day updating.
Finding balance in a Zoom-centered life has become very taxing for everyone, not just mentally but also emotionally and physically. But the real solution isn’t avoiding or eradicating video-conferencing altogether but familiarizing yourself to its benefits and limitations. It’s a team effort to lessen the fatigue but there are also ways, like the abovementioned tips, to help you.
